All Blacks punish Butterfinger Boks

By Adnaan Mohamed

Eden Park remains rugby’s most impregnable fortress, and on Saturday the All Blacks once again proved why.

Their 24–17 Rugby Championship win over South Africa was less a spectacle of champagne rugby and more a ruthless masterclass in doing the basics with the precision of a locksmith turning a well-worn key.

For the Springboks, it was a night of buttered fingers, creaky set-pieces and coach-killing errors. Coach Rassie Erasmus’s men were not so much beaten as “out-Bokked” by New Zealand at their own game.

The weight of history

Fifty-one matches now, and still no opponent has left Eden Park smiling since 1994. For the Springboks, that ledger stretches further back to 1937. That’s when their last victory here came in an age of leather balls and long boat journeys. Saturday’s contest was meant to be a fresh chapter, yet the script followed a familiar arc: mistakes punished, momentum squandered, and the All Blacks grinning at the end.

Early jitters, costly gifts

The match began with the Boks wobbling like toddlers learning to walk. Within two minutes, Handré Pollard spilled a pass, gifting the All Blacks field position. From the ensuing ruck, Beauden Barrett floated a kick-pass that found Emoni Narawa, who skipped past Willie le Roux’s flailing arms and sold Cheslin Kolbe with a dummy. Eden Park roared, the scoreboard blinked 7–0, and the Boks had set the tone for a self-sabotaging half.

More wounds followed. Malcolm Marx, normally so reliable, threw three crooked darts and missed a tackle that allowed Will Jordan to slice through untouched for the All Blacks’ second. At 14–0 after 17 minutes, the Boks looked less like world champions and more like tourists fumbling with a foreign map.

Their lineout creaked, their scrums buckled, and Thomas du Toit folded under Ethan de Groot’s weight, while Ox Nché made Fletcher Newell look like a folding deckchair, but cohesion was absent.

The half-time riddle

By the break, the All Blacks led 14–3. It wasn’t champagne rugby with rain squalls turning the ball into a bar of soap, but New Zealand’s economy of effort shone.

Small margins were decisive. Every Springbok error was a black jersey opportunity. Every black jersey misstep was smothered before it became fatal. South Africa, in contrast, trudged into the sheds with just a Pollard penalty to show for their sweat.

A glimmer, then another stumble

The second half began with a flicker of green hope. The Boks finally rumbled into the All Blacks’ 5m zone, only for Nché to be held up by Rieko Ioane. Soon after, Damian McKenzie slotted a penalty to push the lead to 17–3, a cold shower on any Bok momentum.

At last, in the 62nd minute, the visitors’ famed scrum punched a hole in New Zealand’s armour, Marx crashing over to bring life to their challenge.

But as quickly as it arrived, it was undone. Ruan Nortjé’s obstruction at the restart handed momentum straight back, Kwagga Smith saw yellow, and Quinn Tupaea finished off the punishment to make it 24–10.

Cobus Reinach darted through late to set up a nervy finale, but when the Boks sniffed a steal in the dying minutes, Ardie Save, celebrating his 100th Test, swooped like a hawk for the game-sealing turnover. Eden Park roared once more, a citadel unbreached.

Execution vs. errors

The difference was not in ambition but in execution. The All Blacks were serrated in their precision: three tries born directly from Springbok mistakes.

They didn’t overcomplicate, didn’t gild the lily. They kicked, chased, tackled, and played territory like a chess master nudging pawns into position.

The Boks, in contrast, stumbled from one unforced error to the next. Their set-piece, normally their strong point, turned into a blunt instrument. Their backline offered little beyond blunt-force charges, reverting to type when invention was required.

A flattering scoreline

In truth, the seven-point margin flatters South Africa. The All Blacks had more than enough buffer, their victory rarely in doubt. Eden Park remains their canvas, and though this was no masterpiece, it was another brushstroke in a mural of invincibility which is now painted with the inscription “51 unbeaten.”

Erasmus’ headache

For Rassie Erasmus, the takeaways are stark. His side were dominated in the very arenas they pride themselves on: set-piece, physicality, and ruthlessness. New Zealand’s defence coach Scott Hansen promised a direct, aerial, physical approach during the week. The All Blacks delivered it with the cold efficiency of craftsmen.

Next week in Wellington, with the Freedom Cup on the line, Erasmus will demand sharper execution, calmer heads, and a return to their true DNA. Because in Auckland, the Boks were hunted, harried, and ultimately humbled in rugby’s Garden of Eden, where the fruit remains forbidden.

Scorers
New Zealand (24): Tries – Emoni Narawa, Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea. Conversions – Jordie Barrett, Damian McKenzie (2). Penalty – McKenzie.
South Africa (17): Tries – Malcolm Marx, Cobus Reinach. Conversions – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2). Penalty – Handré Pollard.

Clash of the Titans at Eden Park

Auckland’s Eden Park stands like an impregnable fortress, its walls echoing with a 31-year unbeaten symphony with 50 Tests without a South African win since 1994, and only a single draw breaking the Kiwis’ dominance on Saturday, 6 September 2025.

The Clash of the Titans between the All Blacks and the Springboks is arguably the most iconic rivalry in the game of rugby.

The Springboks, back-to-back World champions and hunters of history, arrive not with fear but with fire, determined to shatter the legend with brilliance and hard steel.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus:

“Facing New Zealand away from home is always a challenge, and doing so at Eden Park makes both teams desperate… It’s going to be a nervy week for both teams.”

He also dismisses the “Eden Park hoodoo” as media myth: “It’s a 70 × 100 m field… there is a passionate crowd, but that’s about it.”

And in a rare statistical flourish: “History has shown you must score 28 points against New Zealand … if you want to beat them… you have to score tries.”

All Blacks coach Scott “Razor” Robertson:

“It’ll be a hell of a fiery Test… South Africa played beautifully for a period of time… discipline and accuracy… you can force errors, and things can change quickly.”

His side, on the hunt for a renewed identity, is leaning on their creativity, tactical nous, and renowned ability to play the situation … as part of a longer-term plan to match the physicality of reigning world champions South Africa.”

Historical Canvas

Since 1921, this has been rugby’s most fervent rivalry. Eden Park holds a mythical edge for New Zealand. The last South African win here came in 1937, and only scattered visits since have challenged the narrative.

The modern Springboks, steered by Erasmus since 2018, have reasserted dominance, winning four straight against the All Blacks, including the 2023 RWC final

This clash smolders like two wildfire fronts colliding in a storm. South Africa’s forwards are iron-clad, a green tsunami crashing through scrums. Their backs glide like predators on the hunt with the likes of Cheslin Kolbe, Canan Moodie, and general Handre Pollard ready to pounce on any creaking gap.

Across the park, the All Blacks are coiled springs, massive, muscular and methodical. With Robertson’s “big bodies,” they’ll smash the breakdowns and let momentum ripple through their ranks.

Eden Park’s record looms like a dragon’s claw, but Erasmus’s men come not to worship that legend; they’ve sharpened their blades in smaller skirmishes and now march to conquer it. They believe that, with 28 points, they can tame the beast.

This test match is seen by both sides as a battleground where history, pride, and modern mastery intersect.

Will the Springboks’ raw power, chiselled precision and try-line ambition breach Eden’s walls? Or will the All Blacks, backed by homefield gravity and athletic brilliance, repulse them with ruthless accuracy and unpredictability?

Teams:

New Zealand: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Emoni Narawa, 13 Billy Proctor, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Simon Parker, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Tyrel Lomax, 19 Fabian Holland, 20 Du’Plessis Kirifi, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Quinn Tupaea, 23 Damian McKenzie.

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel (captain), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Canan Moodie, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Siya Kolisi, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Stated, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacement: 16 Jan Hendrik Wessels, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Ethan Hooker.

Date: Saturday, September 6
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Kick-off: 19.05 (09.05 SA time; 07.05 GMT)
Expected weather: Clear and breezy, with wind gusts of 40+ km/h. Real Feel: 6°C
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
Assistant referees: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)

Springboks charge Eden Park hoodoo head-on

By Adnaan Mohamed

History stands on the tryline. The Springboks return to Eden Park on Saturday, the All Blacks’ impenetrable fortress since 1994, chasing a first victory in Auckland since 1937.

“Facing New Zealand away from home is always a challenge, and playing at Eden Park will make both teams equally desperate,” said coach Rassie Erasmus.

“There’s no doubt the players will throw everything out there on Saturday. There is a massive rivalry between the sides, and the history between us is tremendous.”

The Boks’ two lone wins at Eden Park came in 1921 and 1937. Since then, seven defeats and one draw have left the ground a graveyard of green-and-gold dreams.

Now Erasmus’ men, back-to-back World Champions and reigning Rugby Championship holders, want to flip the script.

“Playing against New Zealand in their backyard… is special, and we don’t need more motivation than that. It’s going to be a nervy week for both teams,” he admitted.

Erasmus brushed off talk of Eden Park being an impossible fortress:

“People are making a big deal of the Eden Park record and, of course, it adds pressure. But if one looks back a few weeks ago, we lost against Australia at Ellis Park, and it’s now history.

For us, it’s a huge honour to get the chance to play at Eden Park, and it’s a great opportunity for us.”

And when asked if this was the biggest Test since the World Cup Final? His answer was blunt:

“It would be a slap in the face to Australia and Argentina for us to say this is the biggest game since then.”

With both sides ranked one and two in the world, Saturday’s Test match will be a collision of legacies and settle the argument for now as to who can claim the bragging rights of being the best rugby team on the planet.